334 Proceedings of Scientific Societies. [March, 
Perrier’s elaborate memoir on the star-fishes of the “ Blake,” 
dredged in the Antillean seas and Gulf of Mexico, under the direc- 
tion of Mr. Agassiz. It appears in “Nouvelles Archives du 
Museum d’ Histoire Naturelle, June 16, 1884. 
or more than twenty-five years Professor J. V. Carus has 
been collecting materials for a general prodromus or preliminary 
view of the fauna of the Mediterranean sea. The first part has 
appeared, containing the Ccelenterates, Echinoderms and worms. 
— Further experiments with the new anesthetic, cocaine, have 
been made by M. Vulpian, and laid before the French Academy. 
Researches on snails and crawfishes show that it is less effica- 
cious in the case of invertebrate then vertebrate animals. 
— Of the Australian ants, Formica rufinigra is said to be the 
most numerous, bold, and destructive. It destroys the web of 
certain caterpillars, and wriggles them out, when they fall a prey 
to a host of attendant warrior ants, 
— The death is reported of Mr. Alexander Murray, formerly 
director of the Geological Survey of Newfoundland, and author 
of a treatise on the geology of that island. His latest paper was 
a most interesting one on the glacial scratches of Newfoundland. 
——Edward Rüppell died at Frankford, Dec. 10, at the age of 90 
years. He was an explorer, geographer, and naturalist, his re- 
searches and travels having been made in Northeastern Africa 
and Arabia Petrza. 
— We regret to be obliged to announce the sudden death, in 
January, by pneumonia, of Mr. Augustus Meisel, the well-known 
lithographer of Boston, who has produced most excellent zodlogi- 
cal illustrations. 
—M. Searles V. Wood, well known for his essays on English 
tertiary and quarternary deposits, died December last. 
` — The death is announced of Mr. Alfred Tylor, a well-known 
writer on geological and anthropological subjects. 
— D. A. Keferstein, well known as a lepidopterist, died at 
Erfurt, Nov. 28. , 
A’. 
PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 
Sociery oF Naruratists or Norra America.—This body 
met at Washington, in the lecture room of the National Museum, 
on Jan. 29th. The following papers were read: 
zogth, a. M. 
I. Charles S. Minot. A new cabinet for microscopical specimens. 
_ 2, ——AÀ new feeding trough. 
© »3- —— An apparatus for calculating intervals of days rapidly. 
- 4. S. H. Gage. The use of Miiller’s fluid for preserving the dark colors of animals. 
5. —— The use of collodion for protecting the rubber rings of museum jars. 
ee 6 ——Glass bulb canulæ for the injection of silver nitrate, gold chloride, ete. 
